As a mum, makeup artist, and PIXI creator, my life is bursting at the seams with inspirations & impressions. I live my life by the motto “live love & laugh” and whether I am working or focusing on my family, I try to infuse passion and creativity into everything I do. Here I hope to share with you some of my ideas of all things beautiful.With love, Petra

Thursday, December 8, 2011

As the holidays are approaching fast, I have started the daunting task of shopping for gifts. I consider myself very lucky to have family & friends that love the same things I do - needless to say, I think they have very good taste :)

I wanted to share some of the goodies I found at Target & Target.com. It's my favorite place to shop since it's so convenient and I can get everything I need in one place - talk about a timesaver for busy moms!

Here are some of the things that I'll be looking to gift for the holidays...

My mother is a bit of a makeup minimalist so this kit is perfect for her. Concealer duo, cream brightener, cream highlighter, flesh coloured powder & peachy powder, cheek & lip stain and a luminous gloss – it has all she needs in a travel friendly kit.

She'll love the awakening look it gives – she has not had much sleep since she had me when she was 17 years old (and then had 4 more monsters after that)!

Lip Smacker Party Pack in Skittles $8.79 My view is no real makeup before 13 (and at 13 it’s a must to buy them a makeup lesson to learn age appropriate makeup from a professional). Lip balm or nail colour is ok.

These flavoured lip balms are nice because girls can play around with them but they are not too “makeup-y”. We want to keep them being little girls as long as possible! They grow up too fast nowadays!

My Baby Nieces (the last of my many nieces :) 2 cutie pies just arrived in my family!)

If you - like me - love the idea of luminous & perfect-looking skin and have never found it, here is your solution: Pixi Brightening Primer. It contains real pearl extract for maximum luminosity & humectants for a lovely dewy glow. Use under moisturizer if you have dry/normal skin and instead of moisturizer if you have normal/oily skin, massaging all over face including eye area and lips.

Another must-have for this time of year Eye Bright Liner - it's my personal behind-the-scenes magic product to looking wide-awake, even when it's very early or when I am jet-lagged. It's a flesh-coloured inner rim liner that is waterproof and turns red eyes into bright white! I consistently use this on photo shoots and in everyday life.

Brighten Up the Night

Believe it or not, getting ready for a November party can be done in 5 minutes - all you need is a fresh fuchsia lip & a simple defined eye!

I love a statement dress to go with this look, and some elegant (but not "break-the-bank" expensive at $78) earrings - the more sparkly, the better! I find that by putting on some eye-catching earrings, you can look festive & glowing whilst bringing light to your face.

As fun as it is, socializing can be tiring, and there is no better way to relax & recharge than a hot bath.

Primp & Pamper

Here is a sneak peek into my vanity & some of my all-time favorite pampering products:

Pixi Rose Eau de Parfum - My own signature perfume that I created 6 years ago in the UK for my store. Very fresh, clean and light with a single rose note. Perfect for spritzing all over after shower/bath for that “super-clean” smell that we are all looking for.

This colour is the perfect brown for fall nails. Classy & sophisticated, but with an edge

A Product Is Born

I often get asked what inspires my makeup products, and the reply is – everything! Anything can spark an idea – I see products everywhere. I'm a little nutty for product design and even dream about it!

Our Pixi Nude Shade Wardrobe is a good example of when I got inspired by something we have all seen. The packaging & pattern were inspired by a Swedish chocolate bar – and it's the size of a large piece of chocolate!

Although I don't watch much television, I have to admit that my guilty pleasure (other than chocolate) is "Keeping Up With the Kardashians". The dynamic between the sisters is so hilarious – I have two sisters, so the drama & entertainment is easily related to when we watch the show.

I get a strong feeling of chocolate HAIR envy when I see these ladies – how do they get their hair to look lacquered & glossy but still soft? I've tried to get this effect by soaking my hair with lemon, beer, you name it – I won't give up and when I figure it out I'll let you know!

Besides the gorgeous hair, I also LOVE the smoky cocoa eyes that Khloe, Kim and Kourtney often sport.

One of the secrets of this look is to choose a chocolate brown eyeliner in the right hue of brown with the right undertone.

How to choose the best chocolate brown eyeliner:

1. Find one without red or orange in it – look for a neutral or grey undertone. Reddish tones in a brown eyeliner (which most have) can make you look tired.

2. Always try the liner colour on your skin – it will look different in the packaging than it does on the skin. You may need a shade darker than you think.

2. If you like a bit of glimmer in your chocolate liner, try to find one that has gold pearl pigment – it's most flattering for all eye colours and skintones.

3. Find the perfect black-based brown and use it as an everyday essential. I love love love our Endless Silky Eye Pen in BlackCocoa for this - it's a bestseller and is softer than black for daytime.

4. Buy a waterproof formula so you don’t have to worry about smudging or touch-ups all day.

How to create this timeless look with ONE product - Pixi Lid&Line in Smoky Brown:

Use "Line" end to line upper lash line with in short strokes, as close to the lash roots you can get - press the pen downward & “dot” into lash roots from above. Focus most of the colour from the middle of eye to the outer corner.

Repeat on the lower lash line. Apply very gently to create a soft line – start at outer corner and go all the way to the last lash at the inner corner.

Now use the "Smudge" end to blur the lines.

Take "Lid" end and press the tip onto liner on upper lash line. Run the powder just above the liner, onto the lid as well & blend. Repeat on the lower lash line.

To take this soft smoky look from day to night, simply take the powder shadow from the "Lid" end and apply into the crease of the eye & blend - the higher & closer to the brow you go, the more smoky definition you get.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Terracotta - encompassing hues from peach to bronze, this colour is gorgeous for both home & beauty.

Living in a Spanish-style house in Southern California, I am constantly surrounded by terracotta and I think it’s taking over my life…I see hues from softest peach to deepest bronze everywhere – and I’m LOVING it! It’s so far removed from my comfort zone in home design that is usually a mix of antique white, pale blues & greens and Gustavian grey – all very Swedish. Now I just have to embrace my exotic side, which I’m sure is in there somewhere!

As much as I love the warmth that terracotta gives to the items in my home, the effect is even more stunning on the skin.

Usually we talk about bronzers a lot in the spring when we all need a quick pick-me-up – that’s probably when you are at your palest and need very gentle, soft colour. Now, at the end of August, you may have been in the sun and your skin is probably slightly deeper in tone. The correct bronzer will prolong your summer-fresh skin and keep you looking healthy & outdoorsy well into fall.

I’ve been asked many times what is the secret to the perfect bronze look - you need to know about 2 basic things to avoid buying the wrong product: colour & texture. Once you have the right product, you need to know how to use it and maximize its potential through correct application.

Let’s clear up the bronzing mysteries once and for all!

Colour

It may seem obvious, but the main point of bronzer is to make you look like you do when you have been in the sun. Try to find a neutral colour that is not too orange or too grey on your skintone. Peach undertones work well for medium to light skin and rose and gold undertones work well for medium to olive skin.

When doing my own makeup, I tend to choose warm honey beige undertones with a hint of gold, peach or pink – I have a medium olive skintone that tans easily without going red.

·Always test a new bronzer colour on your jawline. The bronzer should naturally blend into your skintone & give it warmth - 1 shade deeper than your skintone usually does the trick.

· If it looks too orange, you are trying on a bronzer too dark for your skintone.

·If it makes your skin look ashy and tired, you need to find a deeper bronzer color to try.

·Always check your face in daylight and wait 5-10 minutes to make sure that the product does not change colour on your skin after application.

Texture

By texture, I mean the consistency of the product – this affects the final look on the skin.

1. Powder – Pressed or loose, this is easy to control during application and great for normal to oily skin. The most popular form of bronzer, powders are easy and quick to apply all over.Application: Lightly swirl a medium-sized firm powder brush into bronzer and tap off excess. For an all-over sun kissed effect, buff along jawline and hairline using tight, circular motions. Swirl brush in bronzer & tap off excess again, and now sweep brush onto cheekbones, nose, forehead, chin and neck.

2. Cream & mousse – This is great for dry skin. The result is a plump & dewy skin-like finish, and the look is very natural.Application: Tap colour onto cheekbones with your fingertips or nylon brush & blend well. Smooth any leftover colour onto eyelids & lips.

3. Gel & liquid – These have great staying power and look sheer and natural on skin. They feel fresh and are great for those with normal skin. Easy-to-blend and easy-to-build colour from sheer to more sunkissed, gels & liquids also work well to add some colour to lips.Application: Dab onto clean skin with fingers and blend well. Apply to cheeks, eyelids and lips - it will stay on until you wash it off.

The look above is all about the texture of bronzer - there is no powder here. This sun kissed skin's translucent & natural look is achieved with a fluid bronzing gel. Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel in Sun Kissed is my go-to product for a "no-makeup" look.

It is designed to provide the most believable bronze: it's tan with a hint of red to make it look like real skin. Apply as suggested above in gel texture section, or mix it with tinted moisturizer for a super natural effect.

I love to use honey-hued blushes as bronzers - this works especially well for those with fairer skin who have a hard time finding cheek colours or bronzers that look natural. This is a very soft way to add a warm glow to the skin.

And what could possibly be a more beautiful accent to your late-summer sun kissed skin than a deep peachy dress?

What I love about this Johnny Was dress is that you can dress it up with colourful jewelery and high heels or keep it really casual in sandals and some bangles. I also love that it comes with a slip dress to layer under if you want.

With this dress I need to show some leg…this dry oil takes away my not-so-attractive snake skin legs and transforms them into Brazilian Gisele legs…well almost!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

I woke up this morning with these thoughts in my head…Grow my own herbs for the kitchen
Buy somebody a coffee
Be a little crazy! (that shouldn’t be too hard!)
Treasure things until they fall apart
Take some time off
Love my husband And most of all, EAT STRAWBERRIES!!!

I’m Swedish and nothing screams summer in Sweden like sun-ripened strawberries, preferably picked and eaten right in the strawberry field.

My sister sent me the photo below – this is her strawberry “field” right now at her cottage in the Swedish countryside. So delicious!

And did you know – I didn’t – that strawberries are a real super food? They have higher levels of vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium than most other fruits like bananas, apples and even oranges…

How to:Boil strawberries for 15 minutes. Squash them against the edge of the pan as they boil. Tie a muslin cloth over a large bowl. Pour strawberry & water mixture on top and let the liquid strain through. Discard strawberry solids.Bring the liquid back to boil for another 15-20 minutes.Add lemon juice, sugar, and elderflower cordial.For a lighter version, just leave out the sugar.Let cool and mix with water at a ratio of 1 part syrup to 5 parts water – this recipe makes approximately 4 cups of syrup (bottle this and keep in refrigerator).Enjoy!

Although the homemade kind is the best, you can buy strawberry cordial from IKEA’s Swedish food department – you can get Swedish cinnamon buns there as well!

Well, moving swiftly on from all of this eating and drinking! Phew – must have been hungry this morning!…

My life and work has always been filled with colour – I’m obsessed with it and one of my favorites is strawberry red. It’s such a great, happy colour – it just screams confidence, joy & flirtatiousness. Although it can be a hard hue to wear from head to toe, it’s the perfect accent colour.

I found this vintage handbag in one of my favorite antique stores in Carpenteria – it was just too pretty to resist, classic '50s design in red croc embossed leather.

The ballet shoes I bought in Nordstrom a few summers ago – so stylish and comfortable in red patent leather – LOVE!

A very easy way to accessorize & play with strawberry red is to try red-tinted lips.I created this look for a shoot we did, using strawberry red lips as the focal point for a stunning effect.

Above, I teamed the strawberry lip with an illuminating tinted moisturizer, gold-beige eye shadow, very natural lashes – more like a lash tint – and a honey-hued blush colour on the cheekbones.

It’s the prettiest summer makeup every year!

More juicy reds...

The marker pen above was used on the model. It’s the perfect red and, since you can apply it very sheerly or layer to your desired intensity, it suits everybody. It also stays on and on – and will not leave a mark on your strawberry cordial glass!

And for you girls out there still saying “I can’t wear red lips” – just take a look at these lovely ladies…

Ok, so they are unusually gorgeous BUT they show that red lips look gorgeous on all colorings and brighten up the whole face.

I like to dab on the colour, pushing it into lips with my finger - this way it looks stained, tinted and more natural. Then blend whatever is left on your finger onto the apples of the cheeks.

Now that we have the lips sorted out – it’s time to liven up the footsies with a great luminous red nail colour...

This nail polish was inspired in texture and colour by this amazingly cute VW in the perfect strawberry hue – any girl’s dream car!

I also just bought the dream makeup bag & organizer.

I love that this one has lots of transparent pockets – and the colour is perfect for my strawberry red summer mood!